Director & Co-founder
Isaak Tsalikoglou
An entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience as founding partner and Director in companies active in international trading of raw materials for the agri-feed industry, fertilizers, agri-food commodities, raw materials for the plastics industry, consumer products, as well as in certification, insurance brokerage and solar energy projects. He is a graduate in Economics from Athens University and holds a Master’s Degree in Systems Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MBA from INSEAD, France. Μr. Isaak Tsalikoglou is a Member of the Onassis Scholars’ Association.
Director
Sophocles Parapanos
An experienced professional with 35 years of Debt Capital Markets, Trade Finance and Banking experience in addition to broking/facilitating transaction amongst a wide spectrum of investors. He maintains thorough knowledge of prevailing market conditions in Cyprus, Greece, Southeastern Europe, and the CIS. He has proven skills in facilitating/ structuring/ executing complex transactions in fixed income/trade finance/ distressed situations. He maintains long standing relationships with Bankers, Government officials and other Professionals in Cyprus/ Greece the CIS. He graduated from the Arkansas State University, USA and he obtained an MBA in Finance and Investments from Northern Illinois University, USA.
Operations Manager
Antonia Symeonidou, PhD
Dr Antonia Symeonidou heads Real Economy Fund’s trade finance operations and manages alliances. She has graduated from the National Technical University of Athens with honours and a scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation of Greece. She then conducted PhD research in the University of Cambridge in Bioengineering and Micromechanics. Her PhD research received several awards and sponsorships including the European Physical Sciences Research Council grant, Lundgren Research Award and the Cambridge University Philosophical Society research grant. While in Cambridge she established an Innovation Hub designing / authoring/ publishing/ delivering innovative educational programs and creative consulting, which was admitted in the Accelerator of the Judge Business School. She is a visiting professor in the Department of Economics at the UNIFG and has been a judge at the Receivables Finance International Awards (RFIx23) of BCR.
Business Developer
Iakovos Tsalikoglou
Iakovos Tsalikoglou is responsible for the development of relationships, as well as expanding Real Economy Fund's business. He is a graduate of the University of York and Master’s graduate of the University of Glasgow in the UK and the Aix-Marseille Université in France, in Economics and Political Science. Prior to joining Real Economy Fund's team, Iakovos was working in public sector consulting. Additionally, he has work experience in renowned organisations, such as think-tanks and businesses in the manufacturing sector. He has also been awarded both the Foundation Course as well as the Intermediate Course On Factoring diplomas of the FCI.
Trade Origination and Asessment
Investment Committee
Experienced executives with an established track record of more than 30 years each in prolific international trading, banking, successful set ups and management of factoring ventures in the Greek market and abroad.
Panos Papatheodorou
Mr. Papatheodorou, Head of REF’s Investment Committee, has been an Executive Committee Member of FCI for the past 13+ years and Education Committee Chairman at FCI. He was Executive Vice President & CEO of Optima Factors SA (ex Laiki Factors & Forfaiters S.A.) Mr. Papatheodorou has over 30 years’ experience of the factoring markets in South-Eastern Europe having, among others, established Eurobank Factors in S.E. Europe and advised Governments in the region, in setting up the legal framework for factoring. In addition, he has a large network of business contacts. In 1978, he graduated from the University of Athens, an holds a Master’s degree in Regional Development from Pantion University of Athens and an MBA from Cyprus International Institute of Management.
Stelios Stampolis
Co-founder of REF and Managing Director of Distral S.A (Treatment, trading and warehousing of vegetable and animal proteins) and of Veolys Co. Ltd (Trading of proteins) with a large trading portfolio and established relationships with clients for more than 30 years. Mr Stampolis is also the owner of SBK Hellas (Trading of converted paper products). In the past he has worked as Financial Manager in Henkel Hellas S.A, as Financial controller in Henkel Ecolab S.A and as Purchasing Manager in Henkel Chimika S.A. He holds an MBA from Georg August Universitaet Goettingen Germany.
Kimon Palamides
With over 30 years of experience in both Greek and multinational Banks. He has extensive experience in senior management positions in the field of corporate finance and wealth management. From 2012 to early 2016 he held the position of Assistant General Manager in Piraeus Bank S.A., Greece. He possesses a broad and deep knowledge of the global financial marketplace as a member of the executive management, credit, ALCO and investment committees having the ability to manage and analyze business risks, business objectives but also manage high profile client relationships. He has been a qualified investment advisor licensed by the Bank of Greece. He is graduate of the American International College and holds an MBA from South Eastern New Hampshire University.
Ioannis Kyriazopoulos
With over 30 years of Wholesale Banking experience in Greece and in South Eastern Europe having worked for Greek and International banks, he has extensive experience in senior management positions in banks, as member of the Leadership Team of HSBC in Greece, heading the Commercial Banking business and of Piraeus Bank in Serbia heading the Wholesale Banking business (Corporate, Credit, Leasing) and also as member of management committees in banks (Executive Board, Risk Management, Asset and Liabilities Committees). He served as Executive Director for REF from the incorporation date until April 2019. Mr. Kyriazopoulos is CEO of Lefkometal SA and also holds various Directorships in companies in Greece, active in the trading of animal feed proteins, agribusiness, chemicals. He is a graduate in Government from Pantion University and holds a Masters (Econ) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.